Bear Transportation Moving to Plano

A North Texas transportation brokerage company will move its corporate headquarters from Dallas to Plano, where it plans to grow to more than 600 employees in the next four years.

Bear Transportation Services initially will move about 290 jobs to Plano in March, said President Andy Pierce. The company will add about 220 employees through the balance of 2009 and 2010, and about 120 more in 2011 and 2012, Pierce said, bringing the total to at least 630 jobs four years from now.

Despite the national recession, Bear Transportation is adding jobs so the company is prepared when the economy bounces back, Pierce said. “Clearly, the economy is in crisis mode now, but we’re establishing the infrastructure to grow when the economy grows,” Pierce said. “We believe there is opportunity in every crisis. We’re investing in our future.”

The company scouted locations in Farmers Branch, Frisco, Richardson and North Dallas before deciding to lease 81,000 square feet of newly renovated space at The Campus at Legacy, Pierce said. Bear will leave behind 40,000 square feet at its current location on Interstate 635 in Dallas.

Bear’s leadership selected the Legacy location because they like the campus atmosphere and because the company can find superior job candidates in the Plano area, said Bear Transportation owner Mike Loehr. An incentive package the company negotiated with Plano Economic Development officials clinched the move for Bear, Loehr said. (12/19/08) learn more